The effect of ground water salinity on Satsuma mandarins: Preliminary results

The research was carried out to evaluate the effect of increased salinity of ground water caused by sea water intrusion on Satsuma mandarins grafted on trifoliate orange rootstocks. In Buyukalan district of Gumuldur-Izmir, 36 orchards were sampled on a grid system. EC values of water samples collected between June-November 1995, reveal a significant decreasing trend in salinity with increasing distance from the sea. Analysis of fruit samples and leaf samples taken during the fruit maturation period put forth a marked adverse effect of salinity on vegetative growth, which however had no significant influence in terms of fruit quality.